The treatment of veterinary antibiotics in swine wastewater by biodegradation and Fenton-like oxidation

Mengcheng Qian; Linyan Yang; Xingkui Chen; Kai Li; Weibo Xue; Yejin Li; Huihui Zhao; Guomin Cao; Xiaohong Guan; Genxiang Shen

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136299

The treatment of veterinary antibiotics in swine wastewater by biodegradation and Fenton-like oxidation

Sci Total Environ. 2020 Mar 25:710:136299. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136299. Epub 2019 Dec 26.

Authors

Mengcheng Qian¹, Linyan Yang², Xingkui Chen¹, Kai Li¹, Weibo Xue¹, Yejin Li¹, Huihui Zhao¹, Guomin Cao³, Xiaohong Guan⁴, Genxiang Shen⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
² School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Wastewater Treatment, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China. Electronic address: lyyang@ecust.edu.cn.
³ School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Wastewater Treatment, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
⁵ Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences, Shanghai 200233, China.

PMID: 31923671
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136299

Abstract

Elevated concentrations and potential toxicities of antibiotics in swine wastewater prompt the exploration of effective treatment methods to minimize the amount of antibiotics released to the environment. This study examined the technical and economic feasibility of using combined biodegradation and advanced oxidation processes for swine wastewater treatment. The up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was mainly responsible for conventional organic pollutant removal (i.e., a COD removal rate of 75%). The subsequent sequencing batch reactor (SBR) under a short sludge retention time (SRT) of 3 days removed the biodegradable antibiotics by >95%, and hindered the nitrification process which retained NH₄⁺-N and reduced operational cost (since the treated wastewater was intended to be used as a farm fertilizer). The subsequent Fenton-like oxidation (with the aid of citric acid) achieved an average antibiotic removal efficiency of 74% under optimal reaction conditions: H₂O₂ dosage of 2.9 mM, [Fe²⁺]: [H₂O₂] = 1:3, [CA]: [Fe²⁺] = 1:1, pH 6.0, reaction time of 120 min. The superior treatment efficiency of Fenton-like compared to the conventional Fenton (74% vs 5%) under nearly neutral conditions was attributed to the chelating role of citric acid with Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺, leading to the enhanced Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ solubility and therefore the promotion of ∙OH formation. This hybrid process of anaerobic and aerobic biodegradation and Fenton-like oxidation should be suitable and cost-effective for the treatment of wastewater with abundant conventional pollutants and persistent emerging trace contaminants.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Biodegradation; Citric acid; Fenton-like; Short SRT; Swine wastewater.

MeSH terms

Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Biodegradation, Environmental
Hydrogen Peroxide
Oxidation-Reduction
Swine
Waste Disposal, Fluid
Wastewater / chemistry*
Water Pollutants, Chemical

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Waste Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Hydrogen Peroxide